Search the Community

It's been good! But I won't lie, the first 2 weeks were rough. I was depressed and exhausted. Even walking to the bathroom was a lot of work. But the start of week 3, I turned a corner. I didn't have much pain, but getting your Fluid and Protein requirements in is hard. Make sure you find a protein supplement that works for you. I spent a ton of money buying shakes and powders hoping to find one that worked. I didn't. Just the smell of the shakes started making me throw up. The powders were the same. I eventually bought an unflavored Protein powder and put it in my warm broth. I was able to get some down that way, but was always far from my 60 grams a day. Once you're able to eat soft foods, like gets easier. Also, 2 weeks after surgery I got Thrush. It took forever to clear up. So if your tongue looks white and weird, call your surgeon. But I'm 1 month post op and down 35 pounds, so that's a plus! Also, I'm sure you've read about it, but there is something called the "3 week stall". I stalled at 2 weeks and it last two weeks. The scale did not move, and it actually went up. My surgeon attributed that to Water, hormones, not eating enough calories, and healing. But it's very VERY frustrating not to see the scale move after undergoing surgery. So just keep that in mind.. Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Checking in....3 week stall for me too...glad to have u guys for moral support

With all due respect, no. Just...no. Gaining weight this early out is COMPLETELY normal. It's not possible to gain 6 pounds of fat by overeating as early out as she is. You could be eating McDonald's shakes at this stage with chocolate chip Cookies and still lose weight. You are dead wrong. It's part of the 3 week stall. She is just one of the lucky ones that gains while the body adjusts. She will start losing weight again once it passes. You just stay the course and let your body do its thing. Don't get discouraged! You're doing great!

Congrats! You look awesome. And I love your 3 week stall post. It got me through!

Thanks. I keep hearing about a 3 week stall but not this early. I don't want to have a 2 week AND a 3 week. I was liking dropping weight every day

It's not only possible. It's normal. Read the link in my sig. Many people experience the 3 week stall. It's nothing to worry about. It will pass.

I recently had a 2/3 week stall. My doctor said it's good and part of the process because you can end up in hospital if you consistently lose weight so rapidly. I was sleeved about 9/10 weeks ago. Don't worry you will start losing again! I was so concerned at first also. I even bought a Fitbit to help with exercise [emoji30][emoji23]

Make sure you're not eating and drinking at the same time. Someone of your size should probably not only be eating 600-800 calories a day. You should be fine eating between 1000-1300 in my opinion. Your body is still burning a lot more calories just breathing than someone 200 lbs and you are also male...and men require more calories. . Don't forget about the famous "3 week stall". You are only 6 weeks out and most people hit a wall at 3 weeks out that lasts a few weeks and the weight just stalls and then kicks back in again. Trust me you are going to lose a ton of weight. Even if you can't work out a lot, try to at least get a walk in once a day. Seriously, even if it's just walking around your HOUSE. Any extra movement helps. Best wishes!

Search for 3 week stall. It's beyond common. Nothing you are doing as far as I can see from your post is wrong. Just keep making sure you hit your protein goals and work to get to 128oz of water if possible. And stop stressing about the weight right now, work on healing and getting your diet worked out, the rest will happen. As far as bruising, That's a side effect of the blood thinners, and should your team *should* have told you that was going to happen. Our lead nurse joked about it, saying that everyone would have pretty bellies with all the blacks, blues, purples, yellows and greens.

6 days post op: Two nights ago was hell for me i was up with severe gas pains like the worst i've had. i ended up having a very loose BM and felt a little better the next day. Today my lower left incision still hurts but i havent taken pain meds in 16 hours. I've also been having these random sharp pains throughout my body, like one in my lower abdomen, one in the side of my neck, one in my back and a slight headache. I've done good and got my full 64 ounces yesterday, today i'm on track to do the same. I've been having little pains in the back of my legs since surgery but i've been trying to walk at least 5 minutes once an hour. and 2 times during the night between 4 hour blocks of sleep. Last night i had hell getting to sleep. Everytime i would reach the point of falling asleep i would stop breathing, wake up with a start and take a deep breath, this happened over and over till i went online read some articles to distract myself and finally fell asleep. I've never been diagnosed with sleep apnea but i suppose i could have it. 12 Days Post Op: So today i'm feeling much better than 6 days post op. I have my first follow up Thursday and the Dr said I had lost 34 pounds since my first weigh in and my incisions were healing great.( I took off all of my steri strips about 4 days ago due to the itching and a few blisters they were causing). The Dr actually cleared me for swimming or baths already. Also the Dr said i could try a bit of mushies on Christmas day(tomorrow) if i wanted. Thats a week earlier than what their diet plan is. So far the last 3 days i've been trying to hit my protein goal of 70grams. I've been having 1 scoop of Isopure Dutch Chocolate and 1 scoop of Muscle Milk Light Chocolate for breakfast and lunch and that alone is 74grams. Then i usually have a creamy soup for dinner. I missed my water goal the last couple days due to xmas shopping but i'm back on track today. I find that i can now drink regular small drinks of water without pain, not sipping, i hope thats normal lol. I do still get tired easily and i'm so glad that i ended up being able to take 3 weeks off of work. I thought i would be able to go back after a week lol yea right, no way in hell. A few days ago i went from sleeping in my recliner to my bed. It's been ok but i dont think i could have done it any sooner. I'm barely having any pain at my lower left incision anymore, the suture that was sticking out of it already fell off. Been getting in my 3 daily fusion vitamins, luckily i like the orange cream flavor. I'm going to start walking 30 minutes 3 days a week as recommened by my Dr.. They've cleared me for all exercises. And i've heard of the 3 week stall but for some reason i'm already stalled on week 2. I've been sitting at 287 since wednesday fluctuating by .5 lbs each day. Its frustrating to stall this early into the game. I hope it doesnt last long. I've been having a hell of a time with hunger. It's been a b***h . So i have my morning shake about 9 or 10, then i'm usually hungry again by 2, then at 6pm hungry again, then staying up late like i usually do (11pm) means i'm starving at bed time. Seems i cant go any longer than 3 or 4 hours if i'm lucky before i'm so hungry. And i've been taking my daily pepcid so i dont think its acid causing the feeling. Being hungry all the time and having a stall at the same time really sucks. Hopefully something gives and soon.

You are right on schedule for the dreaded "3 week stall"... Don't get discouraged, stalls happen to everyone. I only weigh 1x week and I'm almost 3 months out. my last 3 weights were 184, 187, and 185. And that was while being sick and not getting more than 500 calories/day. I'll weigh tomorrow, and may or may not have lost. I'm not too worried about it, because in the meantime, my jeans went from snug to loose. So "stuff" is happening even if the scale doesn't say so. (I say return the scale. Not worth it if it makes you stress)

You are experiencing the famous 3 week stall. Do a search, there's probably 1,000 posts about it. Go to the link Inner Surfer Girl provided for a good explaination. Just keep doing what you're doing other than STAY OFF THE scale. Your weight will fluctuate thoughout this process and if you aren't prepared to accept that then you are better off not weighing at all. You don't need a scale to lose weight. You only need to follow the plan. I don't even own a scale and I lost over 100% of my excess weight.

Thank you, I've heard of the 3 week stall but never week 1 it threw me a bit and I've been feeling down as my weightloss is not near people that had surgery on the same day. It's very hard not to compare although I'm trying. I'm still in quarrantine due to covid restrictions in my Country but definitely looking forward to get walking. Thanks alot. Sent from my SM-A505FN using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm at the dreaded "3 week stall" only I'm two days before the 3 weeks. But I'm not complaining. I'm down 17.5 lbs since surgery and people are noticing. I'm excited. But it's good to know I am not alone with the stall.

You've lost 12 pounds and you consider that not losing weight? That's 12 pounds in 3 weeks! I looked at your profile and it said you're 5'3". You're generally not going to lose as quickly as, say, someone who is 5'10". I'm 5'7" and I lost about 18 pounds the first 3 weeks. I actually lost 25 the first two weeks, but that's because I wasn't keeping ANYTHING down, even water. I was basically bulimic those two weeks and had actually regained 7-8 pounds after that because I was re-hospitalized and was getting actual nutrition for the first time since surgery from the IV. I think you're doing great. As many people on here will say, you didn't get heavy overnight, and it's not going to come off overnight. Just keep doing what you're doing and don't give up! Like I said, 12 pounds in 3 weeks is awesome! When else were you able to lose 4 pounds a week? You also have to realize that you are probably going through the inevitable 3 week stall. Most everyone on here has gone through it. Basically after two weeks your body adjusts and needs to level itself out. It'll pass, I promise!

I will be 6 weeks out on Tuesday. The first 3 weeks I lost well (8.4; 3.8, 4.2). However, the last 3 weeks my loss has slowed down a LOT (.8, 1, and so far 0). Has anyone experienced anything like this and had their loss speed back up? I'm trying to keep a positive outlook but the longer the stall or slow down lasts the harder I am finding it. I see my surgeon and NUT on Monday and will be talking to them, but I'm just curious if this is the 3 week stall everyone talks about and if so, at about when it's normal for loss to pick back up. For reference, I was lucky to have a very easy recovery so I am getting 70+ grams of protein most days (always over 60). I am drinking between 70-100 oz of water a day. My calories are high for how far out I am (usually just under 800; 6 weeks) but that's because I still need protein supplements between meals. For meals, I'm eating 4 oz of soft protein (like chicken salad) and then if hungry some vegetables that are cooked soft. I will be hopefully be able to move onto more dense foods after my next appointment.

There is this thing called the "3 week stall" - a stall that usually occurs around the 3rd week after surgery. You and I both are entering that time frame. It is completely normal for us to stall at this point. I haven't lost any weight in a week. IT WILL PASS THOUGH. Meggiep had posted this link before, but I think it's a good one because it describes what happens when our bodies stall. http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html My surgeon and dieticians say to NOT weigh yourself daily, but to do it at the very most weekly. The reason is your weight fluctuates on a daily basis. At the last support group meeting, there was a gentleman who had the sleeve done 2 weeks before me and he was pissed that he had lost 43 pounds in 2 weeks, but nothing since. He said that he destroyed (literally through it out the window onto the patio where it shattered) his scale when he weighed himself one morning and then AGAIN an hour later and found it went up 3 pounds. Everyone who had surgery, the psychologist that was there and the dietician all said in one voice - don't do that! If you weigh yourself frequently, you're just gonna make yourself crazy when the scale starts bouncing around like that. Weigh yourself once per week. Trust your surgeon and dietician - they know what they are doing. Follow their plan and stick to it. It WILL WORK.

@@turtle5569 Stay off the scale for now! Weight fluctuates - your body needs time to adjust to all that's going on. Be sure to meet your Protein and Fluid goals. I am a gummie Vitamin person myself but will be switching post-op (too many carbs/sugars). It's right in time for the 3 week stall - so your Vitamins may not have anything to do with it. You've done excellent so far - keep it up!

I have been wanting to create a topic on my weight loss journey after having reached BMI of under 30 and not being obese anymore but thought to wait it out so I can cross off other aspects from the checklist. This morning I weighted - 133.2 Lbs. Height is 4' 10.2" (148cm). BMI 27.6. Heightest weight was 234 lbs, of which I lost 15lbs pre-Op and another 10 lbs during the pre-Op diet. I was at 210 lbs on the day of the surgery. So officially I have lost 100+ lbs of my highest weight ever 🥳 This is the lowest I have ever been ever since I remember. Last lowest I remember was 137lbs, more than a decade ago, post Dr. Bernstein's weight loss program. But that weight loss program kick started the vicious cycle of yo yo dieting and wrecked metabolism, which I hopefully isn't the case anymore with much more controlled healthy eating habits. I just wanted to thank so many of the folks out here who have been extremely supportive not only on the open forum but also in DMs. During the ever so confusing beginning months, this forum came to help time and again. If not for this one, I wouldn't have known about the 3 weeks stalls. Clinic never covered this aspect of the weight loss and I definitely would have freaked if not for the knowledge I consumed out here. So thank you everyone for making this community friendly, supportive and helpful. I still have a bit more to go to achieve my goal and get under 25 and hopefully maintain around 22 or 23ish of BMI, but I'll cross the bridge when and if happens. For now, just enjoying the joy of my current physical and mental state of mind. This surgery truly has blown a new life within after wanting to give up on it time and again in the past. Truly grateful for taking in the dive. 🥰

Don't stress what you can't control right now. It's the 3 week stall. Here's the scientific reason why it happens: A "stall" a few weeks after surgery is not uncommon, and here's why. Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs. of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when a patient is not getting in enough food, the body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. Then when 2 lbs. of glycogen is used a patient will also lose 8 lbs. of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs. that most people lose in the first week of a diet. However, when the body stays in a caloric deficit state the body starts to realize that this is not a short-term problem. Then the body starts mobilizing fat from adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But the body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. As it puts back the 2 lbs. of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs. of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though the patient might still be losing energy content to their body, the weight will not go down or it might even gain for a while as the retention of water dissolves the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

So with the exception of the 3 week stall I've been rockin my sleeve! Between thanksgiving and New year's eve I lost almost 20lbs. Then I started doing Zumba and I've hit a wall. Nothing major but ill be 11 weeks post op tomorrow and I'm just wondering if the exercise has put my body into some kind of shock or if I'm heading into a stall or something. I haven't gone 5 days without losing anything since early on. With regard to stalls , (which I understand are normal), I'm curious about what's typical. I am 5'5 started at about 250lbs. Three week stall with tiny losses until about 6 weeks. Then 5 weeks of non stop awesome loss. Now stuck at 201.2-201.7 lbs. For 5 days. Just curious about your thoughts on my progress and where I should go from here. If I am heading into an actual stall, how long does it usually last at this point? Also, I am about 1 week away from TOM. Thanks

These are called 3-week stalls. They happen randomly. Some patients see them within the first month. Others see them around the 3rd month, 6th month or 9th month. They will happen multiple times during the course of your weight loss. Once the stall breaks, you will see a drop in weight.

Me as well, skinnyagain. Very odd. Pain comes and goes. Think it's when we over do it or something. Also, I think I have hit the so called "3 week stall." haven't lost anymore in 3-4 days. How's it going on your end?

Y'all hang in there. There are ups and downs in the speed of weight loss, especially at the points where you add different types of food. And there's the infamous 3-week stall that might happen at any point in the first couple of months and last for a LONG time! Trust your sleeves. I understand about food being a central point around which your social activities revolve--same here. Now, almost 9 months out, I still enjoy gatherings and social activities--I've just learned how to do it within the new restrictions. I eat snack-sized meals, slowly, and enjoy the conversation and visiting with people I don't see every day. At business functions, I chat with different groups while holding the exact same plate of stuff the whole time--nobody knows (or cares, really) that you're not eating. Check in with the scale but don't let it ruin your mood! It's all going to come out okay.

Just keep on keeping on!!! You'll see a LOT of discussion of the "3 week stall"